Ok, well people seemed to like the first chapter so here's another! Thanks for comments it's encouraging to hear from people, especially when I am really unsure about something. Who IS this little girl? :D


Serena returned to Hanssen's office having failed to glean any information from Alice. As the little girl took a seat in front of Hanssen's desk again Serena turned to the Swede with a look that clearly stated she wanted an explanation. Before she could utter a single question however, her pager went off. She checked it irritably. AAU. She sighed.

'You had better be on your way.' Hanssen said, relieved at the interruption that had cut off what he had no doubt would have been an interrogation from Serena.

Hanssen checked his watch as Serena left. He had a meeting with several department heads to discuss F1 placements in the boardroom in twenty minutes. He turned and smiled gently at Alice and was deeply touched by the sweet smile he received in return. He needed someone to mind her for an hour, but who could he trust? Absentmindedly looking at the little blonde head in front of him as he went through a mental list of who he could ask one name in particular stood out.


'Channers!' Malick called out to the nurse and she approached the nurses station. 'The Almighty has summoned you to his lair!'

'Wha?' Chantelle asked in confusion.

Michael who was nearby laughed, having immediately understood.

'Hanssen. He wants to see you in his office. ASAP he said.' Malick explained with an encouraging look. It was unusual for the CEO to want to speak to a nurse urgently in his office and Malick hoped it wasn't anything bad as he always felt quite protective of Chantelle.


Chantelle spent an hour with Alice. She brought the little girl to get some lunch and as Mr Hanssen had hinted at, though he had not explicitly told her to, she avoided getting into conversation with any other members of staff about Alice. They ate outside on a bench and then went back in and did some colouring in Mr Hanssen's office.

Chantelle was enamoured with the quiet little girl who was extremely polite. Chantelle was obviously curious as to who Alice belonged to and why Mr Hanssen was minding her but she could tell he didn't want to discuss it. She liked Mr Hanssen and she truly believed he was a good person, but that didn't mean he didn't intimidate her sometimes and so she didn't push it.

Hanssen had promised he would be an hour and exactly as the time was up he came through the door. He gave them a smile brighter than Chantelle had ever seen him smile before.

'How did you get on?' he asked.

'Very well Mr Hanssen.' Chantelle beamed. 'We had a great time, didn't we Alice?'

Alice nodded grinning at Chantelle. 'Yes. We went outside and had chocolate.'

'We did have a proper lunch first!' Chantelle said hurriedly in case Hanssen thought she had filled the child with junk food.

'Oh very nice.' Hanssen said good humouredly. 'I wish I could have had lunch outside.' He smiled.

Chantelle thought how different Hanssen looked when he smiled.

'Um… did you talk to anyone?' Hanssen asked casually.

'No.' Chantelle shook her head. 'We did see Ms Campbell in the stairwell when we came back in,' she noticed Hanssen deliberately tensed. 'but she was busy dealing with a difficult relative so we didn't speak.'

'A difficult relative?' he asked.

'Yea, well that's what it looked like. It wasn't anything too bad. Ms Campbell obviously had it under control. She's so good at dealing with people when they're being difficult. I wish I could be more like her sometimes.' Chantelle realised she was rambling and stopped.

'Oh don't say that.' Hanssen said gently. 'More Ms Campbell's and fewer Nurse Lane's is exactly what this world does not need.'

'You shouldn't be so hard on Ms Campbell.' Chantelle replied. 'She's a good person. And at the end of the day all she wants is the best for everyone and for things to be as good as they possibly can be. Aren't you the same?'

Hanssen felt he had been clearly admonished. He was impressed. Her comment that he and Ms Campbell were similar however, troubled him mildly.

'Perhaps you're right.' He said, before straightening his posture. 'I cleared your absence with the ward. You can head back now.'

'Ok.' Chantelle turned to Alice. 'Bye Alice. I'll see you again… uh, maybe. Bye!'

Hanssen thanked her and watched as she left the office, then took a seat with Alice to look at her drawings. At the back of his mind he considered what Chantelle had said about Serena.


Two hours later Hanssen recognised the knock at his door to be that of his Assistant Director of Surgery. He paused before speaking expecting her to barge in anyway but she did not and so he called out 'Enter!'

'Mr Hanssen.' He saw her eyes instantly roam around the room and settle on Alice. 'Your little guest is still here.'

'We need have no qualms about your eyesight then.' He responded dryly.

Serena eyed him beadily and stepped further into the room. 'Is she a relative?' she asked bluntly. 'A niece?'

'Your shift is over Ms Campbell, are you not in a rush home to your daughter?' Hanssen turned his gaze to his computer screen.

'Eleanor is staying with her father tonight.' Serena replied. She wondered briefly if… no, no surely not. Could the child be…? She glanced again at the little girl who was quietly reading a book.

Hanssen looked up and saw her studying Alice. 'All alone tonight then.' He said in an odd tone of voice.

Serena turned to him again and gave him a funny look. She quirked an eyebrow at him. 'Rather presumptuous of you Mr Hanssen.' She said lightly. 'How do you know that I won't be enjoying the company of a sexy toy boy for the night?'

Serena smiled smugly at the way Hanssen became suddenly uncomfortable. Hanssen felt his face getting warm. He had been presumptuous. He knew nothing of Serena Campbell's private life but had surmised from the amount of time she spent working that she had no romantic entanglements. Just because you can't have both Henrik, doesn't mean other people don't manage it, he thought.

'One would imagine that you would be in a much greater hurry to get home if that was what awaited you.' He said smoothly, recovering himself.

Serena laughed. He rarely heard her laugh, not like that. That laugh had sounded different to the one he usually heard from her, when Board members attempted to joke with her and she would give a laugh he always suspected to be fake. But it was arrogant of him to think he of all people could elicit genuine amusement from her – unless it was at his expense.

'I imagine you'll be heading home yourself now.' Serena said. 'Or… off to drop Alice home?'

She was determined to make a discovery, he thought. 'Not quite yet.' He said returning his attention to the computer screen.

'The poor thing has been stuck in here all day Mr Hanssen. She'll be wanting dinner soon.' Serena said in genuine surprise.

Hanssen paused. He hadn't thought of that.

'Not used to children are you?' Serena asked observing the look on his face.

He turned to face her almost sheepishly. He was waiting for a call from Terence Cunningham for the Boards go ahead on a new management plan he had sent them. He was confident he would get it and had already set things in motion to begin on Monday morning, but without the official confirmation he could not go ahead. If he was not here to answer Cunningham's call then he would not speak to him again until Monday when he would no doubt have to listen to the Chairman's digs about him swanning off an hour early on a Friday.

'Alice are you hungry?' he asked.

Alice looked up and shook her head. Thank goodness, he thought with relief.

Serena rolled her eyes. 'Do you think you might start to get hungry soon?' Alice nodded.

Hanssen looked confused.

'Children don't plan ahead Mr Hanssen. She isn't hungry right this minute but it doesn't mean she won't be in five minutes. They don't take into consideration that meals have to be prepared and if you haven't got anything ready you'll end up feeding her junk. What time does she normally eat at?'

Hanssen shrugged. 'I don't know.' He admitted.

'Then I suggest you take her home – wherever that is. And get some dinner ready.'

'I can't. I'm waiting on a call with the Board's approval of the management plan.' He said.

Serena's face brightened slightly. 'Well, I can wait and deal with that if you want.' She offered.

'Won't your toy boy get bored waiting?' he asked sarcastically.

Serena grinned. 'He'll keep.'

Hanssen's eyes widened slightly. Was this toy boy genuine then?

'You go and I'll deal with the Board. Who's calling?'

'Cunningham.' Hanssen watching for her reaction. He had noticed some tension recently between the pair. They didn't appear to be as friendly towards each other as they used to. When the cheerful look on her face faltered slightly, his suspicions were confirmed that there had been some kind of falling out. 'It would be better if I were to deal with it myself.' He said.

Serena nodded slowly. 'Perhaps you're right.'

He had an idea. 'But… if you could do me a different favour.' He began hesitantly, quickly trying to list the pros and cons of this sudden idea before continuing.

Serena looked wary.

'Could you bring Alice home for me? Perhaps get her something to eat.' He saw her begin to shake her head. 'I would be indebted to you Ms Campbell. My kitchen is fully stocked and as soon as I am done with Cunningham I will be straight home. I can't imagine I will be more than an hour.'

Serena contemplated the idea for a moment. The thought of seeing Hanssen's house was tempting. As was the idea that he would owe her. She sighed. 'Alright.'

'Thank you.' He said, genuinely grateful.

They both simultaneously hoped they wouldn't regret this.